


Everyday's Great

by Denizen_of_Dreamland



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Caretaking, Carrying, Gen, Harm to Children, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, POV Adachi Tohru, POV Child, Persona 4 Spoilers, Relationship Study, Sickfic, Whump, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26758897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denizen_of_Dreamland/pseuds/Denizen_of_Dreamland
Summary: After Namatame kidnaps Nanako, the person you’d least expect shows up to save her.
Relationships: Adachi Tohru & Dojima Nanako
Comments: 10
Kudos: 35
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Everyday's Great

**Author's Note:**

> No 2. IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY  
> “Pick Who Dies” | Collars | **Kidnapped**
> 
> No 7. **I’VE GOT YOU**  
>  **Support | Carrying | Enemy to Caretaker**
> 
> [Come talk to me on Tumblr!](https://denizen-of-dreamland.tumblr.com)
> 
> (If you don't mind spoilers, go to end notes for additional content warnings)

Nanako was terrified out of her mind.

She had never been so confused --

\-- so lost and alone --

\-- as when that man clamped his hand over her mouth, lifted her by the waist, and thrust her into the TV, and he felt herself falling and falling and falling as the bile rose up in her throat and her head spun…

As they ran through a strange, but beautiful maze, Namatame’s grip on her muffled her screams and kept her from kicking, flailing, and even biting him. She tried everything she could think of to break free, but it was of no use. Nothing she did changed anything. Of course, she was just a kid, but she felt even smaller and weaker than usual in comparison to Namatame, who didn’t even flinch at her frantic frailing.

She kept trying and trying, but, eventually, she stopped fighting back. Trying to resist only made the pain worse, so it was better to just play along with the man’s whims, to choke back her tears, and to try to keep up with his pace, hoping that he would be pleased with her good behavior and go easy on her, or that he would get tired and finally let her go home.

As Namatame yanked her by the arm, guiding her through the fog, she was in such a daze that she could barely see anything around her, as everything became a blur of pastel colors on a white background, with dark scary shapes lurking around the corners.

She was in complete shock. This couldn’t be real; she just couldn’t believe what was happening. This had to be a nightmare, a very realistic nightmare, or a violent game that everyone had forgotten to explain to her, or a bad, very bad prank, or… something...

But whatever it was, she didn’t want to be a part of it, so why…?! Why was she being forced into it? She didn’t want this! It was scary, so scary, she wanted all of this to end -- 

It was just so… sudden. She had been uprooted from the normal routine she was so familiar with and thrown into this real-life horror movie. She was an unwitting player in a guessing game in which she had to figure out what to do to stay safe for as long as she could, with no one by her side to help her, comfort her, or at least tell her what was going on.

She was so… confused.

She didn’t know where she was.

She didn’t know what Namatame was doing to her.

But the scariest part was that... she didn’t know what was going to happen next.

Why was she here?

Opening the door to the delivery man shouldn’t have led to this.  _ Nothing _ should’ve led to this. Everything had been normal until this evening, she had gone to school, she had taken care of all of her chores, and she had spent time talking to her big bro, like they usually did. She hadn’t done anything differently, so why…?

She should be at home right now, either tucked into bed or waiting for her dad and big bro to come back, like she said she would. She shouldn’t be here, she shouldn’t be getting dragged around by the strange man with bloodshot eyes and creepy voice, she shouldn’t have to fear for her life, fighting against the shock binding her limbs and the dread muffling her thoughts. She didn’t want things to be like this.

Where was her dad? Where was her big bro?

Did they know she was missing?

Were they looking for her right now...?

Her dad was at work, probably doing important stuff… There was no way to tell how much time would pass until he finally went home and realized that Nanako was gone. As for her big bro, her dad had taken him away, without saying why or for how long…

But a long time had passed, so, surely, they must’ve noticed her absence by now.

… Right?

But what if, by the time her dad and her big bro got back home, it was too late? What if there was no trace of the strange man, and they couldn’t track him down? Nanako didn’t recognize this place, so who knew if they were even in Inaba anymore? Would her big bro and her dad be able to find her then?

They didn’t even know that the delivery man had grabbed her and ran away with her. No one had been there to see it. They would have to piece the story together on their own, with no clues as to where she was or why she had left.

What if they thought that Nanako had run away again? Would her dad get mad at her, then, for being so careless? If she didn’t come back soon, would they assume that she decided to escape because she didn’t want to be part of their family anymore?

Would they… stop searching for her?

No… no...

They wouldn’t… they wouldn’t…

They would never forget about her…

They wouldn’t leave her when she needed them the most, because they were family, and family was always there to protect each other, that’s what her big bro taught her. And her dad had even bought a cake to prove they were “officially” a family! That… that had been… really nice of him…

Nanako coughed and wheezed, and she tried to shift to a more comfortable position, but her body was too heavy to move.

It was hard -- hard to move, hard to speak, hard to think…

She was laying on her side, with her lifeless arms and legs resting on the ground, and her cheek pressed against the cold, hard floor, as she took shallow, shaky breaths.

The heaving of her chest was slowing down. If she got any worse, her breathing would start to require a conscious effort, but her consciousness was gradually slipping away from her everytime that heavy, poisonous fog filtered into her lungs and corroded her from the inside. She could feel her hands trembling, but her body was so weak that any movement would’ve been imperceptible to even her own eyes.

Namatame wasn’t holding her anymore, she couldn’t even see where he was now, but the phantom sensation of his arms still lingered on her, as she could feel his grip tightening around her neck, squeezing hard until he was forcing whimpers out of her, as he held her in the air with her legs hanging limply under her.

It hurt, it hurt so bad… It hurt like Nanako had never been hurt before, but she couldn’t pinpoint where the pain was coming from, because, at this point, it seemed like it was ingrained into her very being, indistinguishable from the rest of herself. She wanted to scream, to cry, to plead, but her eyes had no tears and she had lost her voice -- no matter how much she tried, nothing but pitiful whimpers came out.

She felt… empty. It was scary, she could feel her body giving in to the pain, like she was never gonna be able to talk, or breathe, or stand up again-

She wanted to go to sleep, but, if she did, she wouldn’t have the energy to wake up again.

No… she didn’t… she didn’t want to…

She had to wait for her dad and big bro. They were coming for her, she knew it. At least, she hoped they were… She missed them so much...

She didn’t truly understand what was happening to her, but she was afraid that something would go wrong. That, maybe… she would never be able to go back home and see her family and friends again. That, if they didn’t manage to find her in time, she wouldn’t even get to say goodbye…

Putting all of her strength into staying conscious  _ \-- staying conscious, staying conscious for as long as she could -- _ she forced her eyes open to try and make out her surroundings.

Through a slit of light, she managed to see dark shapes dancing in front of her. Her sight was blurry and she couldn’t tell how far away they were, but there were shadows running around, charging forward and then pulling back, while flying in and out of her line of vision with erratic movements, without rhyme or reason. They were accompanied by grunts and battle cries so loud and painful that made Nanako’s head pang so hard that she feared it would explode or crack open in half without a second’s notice.

A whine escaped Nanako, as her eyelids fell shut on their own. It was so dark, cold, and lonely…

She wanted it to end so badly… Maybe she should go to sleep...

Her heart hitched as a loud  _ bang! _ resonated across the empty space, tearing into her ears and making her feel even weaker than before.

Immediately after it, all of the fighting and shouting noises were replaced by silence.

There was nothing -- absolutely nothing. While the eerie silence was easier on Nanako’s ears, it made her feel even more on edge.

What had happened? What was going on? Why had everyone stopped?

Was she… alone?

Was she dead?

She let out a shaky breath, along with a whine. She was… so scared...

“Nanako-chan!” A voice called out to her.

The sound was faint, but it was there, she was sure of it, and her body tensed up in anticipation. They were really here! They were finally going to help her, to get her out of here, to take her home so that she could wrap her dad up in a hug and cry in her big bro’s arms, as she told them how much she loved them and how much she had missed them, and promised to never let them go ever again.

She couldn’t tell whether the voice was male or female or even if it was familiar, but a voice dripping with so much concern and affection had to belong to someone she knew.

The voice was followed by the pattering of footsteps, a constant stream of frantic footsteps that quickly approached her. Though she couldn’t tell how many people there were, she desperately hoped that, at least, one of them would be either her big bro or her dad. She just wanted to see them. That was all she was begging for.

The footsteps came to a halt, and she felt a pair of hands on her. They carefully held her and lifted her up, with one arm placed under her knees and another around her back. It was... warm and homely.

“Don’t worry, Nanako-chan.” A male voice said. “I’ve got you.”

No matter how hard she tried, her eyes wouldn’t open, almost as if her eyelids were glued together.

But…

She wanted to see who was holding her.

“Big… bro…?” She managed to squeeze out. A dry cough interrupted her, but she forced herself to keep going. “Is that… you?”

“No, it’s… It’s me, Adachi. Come on, let’s get you somewhere safe.”

Adachi...?

Well, he might not be her dad or her big bro, but she knew she could trust Adachi. She sighed in relief, and let Adachi’s soft rocking motions lull her to sleep, as he swiftly carried her away to safety.

* * *

Adachi was so. fucking. pissed.

He’d never been so pissed at anyone before, and that was saying something.

It had all started when Namatame kidnapped Nanako on the 5th of November. At the time, Adachi hadn’t thought much of it because it was only the next stage of his fun little game, like any other kidnapping but with the added factor that the victim was someone he knew well. Either way, he was so busy that he didn’t have any time to worry about Nanako, what with Dojima’s accident, Namatame’s disappearance, and the fuckton of work he got saddled with as a result. Not that there was any reason to worry, of course. The brats would soon swoop in and save the day, parading back into town triumphantly with Nanako in tow.

Adachi couldn’t have been more wrong about that.

The days passed, each one even more torturously inane and painstakingly longer than the last, and Nanako’s return didn’t seem to be anywhere closer. November 14… November 15… November 16… November 17… They all dragged on for forever, as Adachi grew more and more skittish over time. What was taking the brats so long? Adachi would’ve thought that, with Yu being Nanako’s cousin and all, he would rush to save her as soon as he could. But that wasn’t the case.

Adachi was getting impatient. Though he’d never admit to it, he religiously sat in front of TV every night, even if it wasn’t raining, looking out for any signals of life and hoping that Nanako would come back safe and sound. After all, there was no reason for her to be punished for Namatame’s idiocy or Yu’s negligence, and seeing her get hurt wouldn’t be as fun as Yamano or Konishi, since, unlike them, she didn’t have an actual, legitimate reason to deserve to die.

So, when Adachi realized that it had almost been two weeks since the kidnapping, he decided he had had  _ enough. _ He bolted out of his seat and towards the TV, grumbling about how he always had to do everything himself. Even though he didn’t know what he expected to find on the other side, he chose to take a hit for Nanako, and threw himself in.

And that’s how he had ended up in his current situation. Alone, in his apartment, with a semi-conscious Nanako in his arms, as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to do next. He’d never been responsible for a sick person, much less a seven year old child, so he was at a loss. But he was the only one who could help Nanako now, so he had to try. Maybe he should start with the basics...

He placed Nanako on the sofa, rolled out his futon, and then laid her down on it gingerly, before pulling the sheet up to her shoulders. Though she barely stirred, and Adachi wasn’t sure if she was aware of her surroundings, the frown stuck on her face made her look both pained and indignated, which she had every right to be.

Adachi kneeled down and pressed the back of his hand against Nanako’s forehead, checking for a fever. She did seem to be a bit warm, but that might’ve been because his hand was cold… He’d need a thermometer to be sure.

A pitiful whine jolted Adachi out of his thoughts. Nanako didn’t move, but the sound was definitely coming from her. 

“Nanako-chan?”

Eyes closed, she kept letting out choked whimpers, her breath hitching as she tried to form a coherent word. Adachi squinted, focusing on her to make out what she was saying, but her voice was small and quivering, so her mumbles were hard to make out. Still, he managed to catch two words, among all the whimpers.

“... where’s… dad...?”

“He’s… not here.” He said, before he realized that he should reassure her lest she panicked. “But it’s okay. I’m here, and I’ll keep you safe.”

Nanako’s chest heaved in what could’ve been quiet sobs or an attempt to ask another question, but all Adachi could do was sit besides her, wondering what to do to help her. Usually, when he got sick, he just swallowed some pills and took off to work, as always. But he didn’t want to medicate Nanako, not when he didn’t know what was going on with her.

Adachi sighed. This was such a hassle… Why did Nanako have to be the one to show up in the Midnight Channel? If it had been anyone else, like another brat, some random idiot, or even Dojima, Adachi wouldn’t have been bothered to jump in after them and drag them out to safety himself. So why, out of all the people who lived in this shitty town, was Nanako the one who volunteered to die next?

Adachi reached out and put his hand over Nanako’s, hoping it would be somewhat reassuring. It seemed to work, because her breathing soon started to even out a little, her whines became less shrill, and her expression softened. Adachi’s shoulders relaxed in relief.

To be honest, he had never thought he’d find himself caring so much about a kid, much less a seven year old, but Nanako was different. She wasn’t bratty, whiny, or entitled like most kids; she was actually fun to be around, and looking after her provided Adachi with a much needed break from his dull, grey, mundane ordinary life, even if he wasn’t doing it out of his own volition.

There was no denying that Nanako was kind and thoughtful, and that she was all smiles, all the time. Sure, she had her moments of mopey doubt, like would be expected of a child of neglect like her, but it seemed like she always tried her best to see the good in everything and everyone, even if there was none to be found. It was stupidly naïve, and Adachi would’ve scoffed at her attitude had she been anyone else, but she was the only one who could put a genuine smile on his face, so it was hard to think of her as annoying.

Nanako’s blind optimism reminded Adachi of a simpler time, when, not unlike her, he was just a hopeful kid who was naïve enough to believe that studying hard and obeying the adults around him would be enough to net him success later in life. That was back when all he needed to feel satisfied was to get good grades in school, watch TV, and spend his free time practicing magic tricks to show off to his parents, who never even cared or pretended to care.

That had been ages ago, before Adachi became bitter, jaded, and angry at everything and everyone, after being beaten up by this shitty reality that forced him to work a boring job every single day, nonstop, for a meagre pay that barely allowed him to survive. The realization that he had wasted his youth -- the only enjoyable part of life -- studying his ass off for nothing still ate away at him, festering his raw hatred towards anyone lucky enough to lead a happy youth like he wished he had.

Nanako was the only exception. He didn’t hate her and didn’t wish her to go through the same hell as he did. If anything, he wanted her to learn from his mistakes and enjoy her childhood to the max. That was why he shared his magic tricks with her whenever she was feeling down and encouraged her to take shortcuts in her homework -- because, someday, she would be forced to face the cruel reality that’d rob her of her kind-hearted innocence, and Adachi needed to put that off for as long as possible, for the sake of his own sanity.

All in all, Nanako was a small patch of purity that this shitty world had forgotten to wipe out, and that made her life invaluable.

“A…dachi…san?”

Adachi looked down at Nanako’s pained face. She was in the same position as before, eyes closed, as still as a statue.

“Hmm? What is it?”

She let out a soft gasp, as she struggled to gather enough air to speak. “Where’s… dad and big... bro...? Do they…. not love me anymore...?”

Adachi smiled. “Haha, how could anyone not love you, Nanako-chan?”

Not even a remorseless murderer like him had the heart to tell her that he had seen her big bro busying himself with mindless shit around town while he knowingly left her to die, alone and terrified, trapped inside the TV World. For someone who pretended to care about Nanako oh-so-much, who rushed to leave the police station to pursue her kidnapper, and who’d promised Dojima that he and his friends would save her, he sure was laid-back when it came to the actual “saving” part.

Damn kid. Adachi didn’t mind their hangouts at Junes all that much, so he had never realized how full of shit that brat was deep down. He was going to strangle him as soon as he got his hands on him, if that was what it took to get back at him for his hypocrisy…

Nanako let out a cough. An idea popped into Adachi’s brain.

“I’ll go get you some water and some food.” He said, as he stood up. “You must be hungry.”

Why hadn’t he thought of it before? Nanako had been stuck there for almost two weeks, so of course she must’ve been starving.

He made for the door, but he paused when he heard another strained whine.

“Don’t... go…” Nanako said, her fingers stirring over the futon.

Adachi hesitated, but he quickly brushed it off and flashed her a smile over his shoulder. “It’s okay, Nanako-chan. It’ll only be for a second.” He assured her, as he left the room and headed to the kitchen.

Once there, he started rummaging through the fridge and the cabinets, looking for anything he could use to feed Nanako. He wasn’t a good cook, but she needed to eat something, and it had to be something nutritious, so that her immune system could fight off whatever was weakening her body.

He didn’t have much, though, and Nanako deserved better than boiled cabbages...

Maybe he could run to Junes and go get some real food. Even if he had to spend all of his savings to get something decent, Nanako’s wellbeing would be worth it.

Damn, since when was he so soft? This wasn’t like him at all. He had never been so jittery over a child before.

“Nanako-chan…” He let out a half-hearted chuckle, as he filled a mug with water. “What are you doing to me?”

He decided to make Nanako drink some water, let her know that he was going to Junes, and then go grocery shopping. It sounded like a good plan to him, but it still didn’t solve the medication problem… It looked like she was in a lot of pain, and Adachi didn’t even know what she was sick of, so it seemed like the next logical step was to take her to the hospital.

Plus, she was aching to see her beloved big bro and her dad, and taking her to the hospital would allow her to be reunited with her family. Maybe he should just take her there straight away?

Nah… that was a bad idea. Taking Nanako to the hospital would be basically revealing that Adachi could access the TV World, which would be like handing the murder case to the brats on a silver platter. He couldn’t out himself as the real culprit unless he wanted his fun little game to end.

But… was his game really more important than Nanako’s wellbeing?

Adachi pondered the question for a moment, staring at the ceiling as if it held all the answers of the universe. He then scoffed at himself.

Psh. Of course Nanako would be fine. She was strong, so she’d do well without medical treatment, and she didn’t need to see Dojima and Yu, despite her pleas. She just needed a little rest. She probably got more hurt from being manhandled by Namatame than from being thrown into the TV World anyways. She’d get better in no time.

Adachi went back into the bedroom. While Nanako’s eyes were still closed, her face had fully relaxed and her chest had stopped heaving, so it seemed like she was much more at peace. Great. She deserved a good nap.

Adachi kneeled down next to her and placed his hand back on top of hers. He couldn’t help but smile fondly at the sight. It was hard to believe what he was seeing right now, but Nanako truly  _ was _ here, in his apartment, sleeping peacefully in his futon. Now it really felt like she was his own daughter…

He hated how much he loved it.

“Here, I brought you water.” He held the mug to her, but then he realized that she was in no state to grab it, so he awkwardly set it down. “Well, I’ll leave it here for now.”

Nanako didn’t answer.

“I’m gonna go to Junes to get groceries.” He continued. “Be a good girl and wait for me here, okay?”

He watched her patiently, expecting her to magically feel better and perk up at the mention of Junes, but she didn’t react in the least.

“You must really be tired, huh?” He shook his head in amusement. “Come on, Nanako-chan, wake up.”

She didn’t stir.

He shook her slightly. “Nanako-chan. Hey. Can you hear me? Wake up.”

She didn’t make a sound.

Adachi was starting to get impatient, with a sickly feeling rising inside him. He grabbed Nanako’s arm and shook her more forcefully. “Nanako-chan! Okay, I get it, you’re doing it on purpose, haha, that’s funny… Stop ignoring me.”

Then it dawned on him -- it wasn’t that Nanako had stopped breathing shakily; it was that  _ she wasn’t breathing at all. _

Adachi’s chest tightened. His mind was in a daze, but he managed to catch her wrist in his hand and check for a pulse.

There was  _ nothing-- _

He pressed his thumb against her skin harder, repositioning it again and again to try to find a heartbeat, but no matter how much he tried, he didn’t _feel_ anything--

No…

No.

It couldn’t--

It couldn’t end like this.

No.

No, no,  _ not Nanako. _

This wasn’t happening.

_ This couldn’t be happening. _

Adachi trembled, seized by an urge to scream, to punch, to kick, to puke, to laugh at how fucking pathetic he was, but unable to do any of that, as he stared in shock at the horrid sight in front of him. 

The one time he chose to do the right thing…

The one time he chose to  _ care _ about someone…

And she--

She was...

“Dammit!” Adachi cried out, his voice breaking, as he gripped the bed sheets in his fist. “It should’ve been someone else!”

His heart pounding, he darted for his phone and fumbled to dial the emergency number. He pressed the phone to his ear, mentally praying to a god he didn’t believe in, and cried out for help as soon as the dispatcher picked up.

“Send an ambulance, quick!” He snapped. “A little girl is dying and I...!”

Adachi’s words got stuck in his throat. As the realization hit him, his arms slowly went slack, letting the phone slip out of his hand with a dull clack.

“I killed her.” He muttered to an empty room.

**Author's Note:**

> (CW: Death of a child.)
> 
> Protective Adachi?
> 
> Yes. The world needs more protective Adachi.
> 
> I'm sorry for what you just read... Is this enough angst? Or should I make them suffer even more...?
> 
> As always, let me know your thoughts!
> 
> Edit (08/02/2021): WendyWhite13 made a wonderful piece of art inspired by this fic!! [Please go check it out!](https://wendywhite13.tumblr.com/post/642508221621403648/now-exiting-heaven-still-got-adachi-on-the-brain)


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